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American basswood

American basswood is native to the Chicago area and is often used as a specimen or dense shade tree. Its heart-shaped leaves and fragrant flowers in June make it especially attractive for people, while songbirds and blue jays are attracted to its seeds and use the tree for shelter.

This species is native to the Chicago region according to Swink and Wilhelm's Plants of the Chicago Region, with updates made according to current research.

Flower arrangement, shape, and size

Creamy yellow flowers in hanging clusters (5 to 10 flowers per cluster) in early summer. Each cluster is accompanied by a long, strap-shaped bract. Very fragrant.

Fruit, cone, nut, and seed descriptions

Fruits are small, round nutlets, accompanied by a long strap-like bract.

Cultivars and their differences

“These plants are cultivars of a species that is native to the Chicago Region according to Swink and Wilhelm's Plants of the Chicago Region, with updates made according to current research. Cultivars are plants produced in cultivation by selective breeding or via vegetative propagation from wild plants identified to have desirable traits."

American Sentry® American basswood(Tilia americana 'MckSentry'): This cultivar has a very symmetrical (pyramidal) canopy. Grows 45 feet high and 30 feet wide. Reported to have some resistance to Japanese beetle.

var. heterophyllawhite basswood (Tilia americana var. heterophylla): This tree, once considered a separate species, is now considered a variety of the American linden. It is known as white basswood or beetree linden. It is very similar to American linden, except that the lower sides of the leaves are covered with dense hairs, giving a white appearance.